It also wants to research Human Machine Interface for both technologies

Nissan has opened a new research center in Silicon Valley, where the automaker plans to focus on autonomous and connected vehicles.

The new facility is called the Nissan Research Center Silicon Valley (NRC-SV), and it will use partnerships with educational institutions and companies to work on projects for new vehicle technologies.

The initial projects in NRC-SV will be research of autonomous vehicles, research of connected vehicles that can use the Internet and infrastructure to communicate with the outside world, and research of Human Machine Interface to make both autonomous and connected vehicles more efficient.

“As we continue to expand our R&D capabilities throughout the world, we aggressively pursue our activities to create new values of mobility, by harnessing the latest information and communication technologies here in our new research center in Silicon Valley," said Nissan Executive Vice President supervising Research and Development Mitsuhiko Yamashita.

There were hints of Nissan's autonomous future back in October 2012, when the automaker announced that it would use steer-by-wire technology for future Infiniti models.

People would be giving up far too many freedoms. They'd no longer be able to buzz down empty roads doing 130--because they can. Cops would be able to stop anyone with the press of a button. Traffic density wouldn't be improved much. Cost is overpowering.

Might happen because:

It means you can be shitfaced drunk at 3:30am and you can drive home safely.